Published on Thursday, 9 April 2026 at 8:21:31 AM
The Shire of East Pilbara is aware of concerns raised by Punmu residents regarding road conditions and access into the community, including reports of impacts to supply deliveries.
Damage caused by Severe Tropical Cyclone Zelia, combined with subsequent weather events, ongoing heavy vehicle use and general conditions, has continued to impact sections of the road network, including the formation of severe corrugations which are affecting travel conditions.
The Shire has been working to maintain access through ongoing inspections and maintenance, however the scale of damage across the network has placed considerable pressure on available resources.
The Shire also noted the challenges of delivering road works across such a large and remote region, where mobilisation times, distances and available resources can impact how quickly works can be carried out.
Shire President Cr Anthony Middleton said the Shire understands how critical reliable road access is for remote communities.
“We know how important these roads are for getting food, supplies and essential services into communities like Punmu,” Cr Middleton said.
“We’re aware of the current concerns, including impacts to deliveries and our teams are actively assessing conditions and prioritising maintenance where it’s needed most.”
Cr Middleton said securing funding certainty was a critical step in enabling more substantial repair works to begin.
“In a region as remote as ours, you need funding certainty early so you can plan, mobilise crews and get equipment where it needs to be,” he said
Now that we have that certainty, we’re pushing ahead with planning and mobilisation to get works underway as quickly as possible. We are currently working through the practical limits with distance, access and how quickly equipment can move across the network.
Cr Middleton said recently secured disaster recovery funding would support longer-term repairs across the road network.
The Shire will continue to work closely with service providers and relevant agencies to support access into Punmu while longer-term repair works are progressed.
-ENDS-
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